With a view to achieving the ‘Viksit Bharat’ 2047 goal, the government has been making several efforts through key interventions in the field of science and technology. Some of the notable efforts include instituting high-stake mission-driven initiatives, namely National Quantum Mission; National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems among others. The initiatives focus on the development of key technologies to reduce dependency on imports, promote domestic innovation, and position India as a global leader in the identified sectors.

This information was given by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. The government has launched several programmes to catalyse startup culture and build a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. Several strategic policy measures have been introduced by the Government including the Geospatial Policy 2022, the Space Policy 2023 and BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy 2024.

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The government has established the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) through the ANRF Act 2023 for strengthening our technological leadership, marking a paradigm shift in our R&D ecosystem. The ANRF aims to drive a multi-phased roadmap for scientific breakthroughs and cross-sectoral collaboration, providing competitive, peer-reviewed grants to optimize resource allocation for high-impact research. ANRF aims to position India as a global leader in innovative, sustainable technological progress. The Foundation has outlined multifaceted strategic interventions to enhance India’s research ecosystem, aligning with national scientific and geopolitical priorities.

To make India Viksit Bharat by 2047, the Sectoral Group of Secretaries (SGoS) on technology has held detailed discussions and many of the interventions are a result of these discussions. Some other actions emphasize strengthening research and innovation in the areas of Quantum Technologies, Cyber Physical Systems, Bio Manufacturing, etc. These efforts focus on technological self-reliance, sustainability, and economic growth, with a strong emphasis on R&D, skilled workforce development, and global leadership in emerging technologies. Through coordinated efforts across various sectors, the endeavour is to transform India into a scientifically advanced and innovation-driven economy, laying the foundation for Viksit Bharat by 2047.

The efforts made by the government, through various programmes and policy measures, have helped the nation in improving its position in the Science and Technology at global level which is visible through its global position in scientific publications, number of Ph.Ds, number of start-ups, resident patent filing, Global Innovation Index, number of start-ups, etc. Some of the key highlights include India ranks 3rd in terms of number of research publications (2,07,390) as per Science & Engineering Indicators 2024 published by National Science Foundation (NSF), USA. India ranked 3rd in terms of the total number of startups (more than 1,40,000) in 2024 as per DPIIT.

India ranks 4th in the number of PhD degrees awarded (16,968) in Science and Engineering as per Science & Engineering Indicators 2024 published by National Science Foundation (NSF), USA. India is ranked at 6th position both in terms of resident (38551) and non-resident (38517) patent filing activity from respective countries as per WIPO Report, 2023. Number of researchers per million population has increased to 262 in 2020 as compared to 164 in 2009 as per DST R&D Statistics, 2022-23.